A new venture, The Bunker KC, seeks to help veterans who become entrepreneurs

A former Navy SEAL from Atchison, Kan., is opening a Kansas City branch of a Chicago program for veterans who become entrepreneurs.

The Bunker KC will run a six-month incubator for eight to 12 businesses that are just starting out, said the ex-SEAL, Sean McIntosh.

Its training will cover how to acquire customers and track the costs of doing that, how to generate sales and validate intended markets, how to apply for loans and other elements of starting up a business.

Participants also will get help weighing their strengths and weaknesses and finding co-founders who could complement their skills.

The Bunker KC spins out of a program that began in January 2014 in the Windy City called The Bunker — Chicago.

“One of my tasks from Chicago is to plug veteran entrepreneurs into the ecosystem that exists in Kansas City, and that entrepreneur ecosystem is in the Crossroads” Arts District, McIntosh said.

He cited the area’s meet-up groups, Code For America activities and Startup Weekend.

“Almost every night of the week you have some type of event going on there,” McIntosh said.

The Bunker KC is open to veterans who served at least three years and were honorably discharged. It is accepting applications for the first group of companies to enter the six-month training.

McIntosh also is holding a lunch April 9 to meet with potential sponsors to present the program and introduce some of the applicants. Additional funding, he said, would allow the Bunker KC to expand, perhaps to 15 startups.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "A new venture, The Bunker KC, seeks to help veterans who become entrepreneurs."